Fast Break: Outlet Pass and Three Lanes in Five Seconds

Students work on starting the fast break: grab the rebound, turn to the outside, throw the outlet pass to the guard on the sideline and fill all three lanes to get a shot off in under five seconds. A student times each attack to measure transition efficiency.

How to play

1. Explain the sequence: rebound, turn toward the nearest sideline, overhead or baseball outlet pass to the guard waiting at free throw line height, and the other two sprint the outside lanes (4 min).
2. Groups of three, no defense: the teacher shoots off the backboard, one player rebounds and makes the outlet, and all three reach the other basket in lanes; the timer measures from rebound to shot (5 min).
3. 3-on-1: a defender waits at the other basket; the group has to shoot within five seconds and the guard decides whether to finish or pass to a lane (7 min).
4. 3-on-2 with one defender joining late from the starting baseline; 2 points for a basket in under five seconds and 1 if it takes longer; defenders go to offense on the next wave (9 min).

Rules

• Outside lanes stay wide, 1 m (3 ft) from the sideline.
• The outlet pass may not cross in front of your own basket.
• A wave only starts when the previous one has finished and returned along the sideline.
• At the basket, attackers never jump into a defender who is set.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wheelchair user: fills the middle lane as the guard and receives the outlet with a head start.
• Asthma or low fitness level: alternates waves with the timer role and monitors heart rate.
• Hearing impairment: the timer holds up fingers to show the seconds remaining.

Learning goals

• Make a fast, safe outlet pass after the rebound.
• Fill the fast-break lanes with good width.
• Evaluate transition speed using the stopwatch.

Equipment for a class of 25

• basketballs: 8
• cones: 12
• pinnies: 14
• stopwatches: 2

Teacher tip

Set up two lines of groups at each end so the rest between waves is short but enough. Write each group's average time on the whiteboard to drive improvement.

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